Born In Peace
by Karakin
Summary: This is an alternate ending for The book SnakeCharm by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes (sequal to HawkSong) it shows what the story would have been like if Rei had not been discoved by the Falcons and Danica had her baby (One-Shot)
1. Default Chapter

**Summery: ZANE COBRIANA, cobra shape shifter, thanks the gods every day for Danica, his hawk pair bond, and the peace their union has brought to the avian and serpiente. Soon, Danica will have a child to carry on their royal line. But what should be a happy time is riddled with doubt. **

**Syfka, an ancient falcon, has arrived from Ahnmik claiming that one of her people is hidden in their midst. The falcons are more powerful than the avians and serpiente combined, and Syfka shows nothing but contempt for Zane and Danica's alliance. To Zane's horror, his own people seem just as appalled as Syfka is by the thought of a mixed-blood child becoming heir to the throne. Is Syfka's lost falcon just a ruse to stir up controversy among them? **

**(Disclaimer: This summery was taken straight from the book and belongs to who ever wrote it.)**

**AN: This story is an alternate ending to the book SnakeCharm By Amelia Atwater-Rhodes **

**Zane's POV**

**Born in Peace**

I ducked as a blade sliced through the air over my head, it was time to end this. I faked left and jumped in pressing the edge of my blade up against my opponents throat as he lunged left to follow my fake.

I heard cheers and groans as the avian I had been fighting sighed as dropped his knives, the sign of surrender.

I smirked and whirled my knives so they rested in the palm of my hands as I stepped back from the solider I had been fighting only moments ago. It was a usual activity I engaged in when ever Danica and I visited the Hawk's Keep.

Rei would pit some of his best fighters against me to test them, his training skill and my own skill. Since the end of the war there had never been any need for it but after a few weeks with no kind of physical activity myself and many other accomplished fighters were stir crazy. So Rei and I had formed this little group, practicing our skills and exchanging different techniques.

I watched as the avian picked up his knives and slid them into their sheaths before beginning to walk back into the crowd of fighters. I closed my eyes and rolled my neck hearing it crack before reopening my eyes and seeing Rei pat the defeated man on the back as he walked past.

Rei walked toward me as I spun the knives expertly in my hands. "So whose next?" I asked Rei as he stood next to me his arms crossed and a cross expression gracing his features.

"No one." He told me "you've beaten everyone." He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, I smirked, it amused me to no end to annoy Rei and this was undoubtedly one of the best ways. Rei, being the leader of the Royal Guard, trained every solider that came through the army and it annoyed him greatly to see that I had beaten each of his best fighters.

"Really?" I asked lightly, knowing full well it was the truth but wanting to edge Rei on just a little more, the game played between us was of a friendly nature with our own twists.

I looked over at him full on and truly appreciated the crow. He had been there with myself and Danica from the beginning. He had helped us through the transition between war to peace and he had been with us when we had to deal with the falcons only a few months previous.

It had been a difficult time for all of us going through the verbal battle with Syfka , accompanied by Danica's pregnancy and the falcons intolerance for half breeds like our child would be.

I rubbed the back of my neck feeling the scales that covered my neck, arms and face. During practice battle like these I wore my half form utilizing the natural weapons given to me. A snakes scales, senses and the fangs my teeth had become were filled with poison giving me the last edge I would need if an avian got too carried away.

"You know, some of the others are putting your success to black magic," Rei told me his tone also light. I sighed, rolling my eyes, even before the end of the war my fighting ability in the avian's eyes had always been put to black magic. I had never been wounded in battle and I wasn't about to let it happen now.

"They still think that do they?" I asked sending a glance toward the fighters who had gathered together in a large group milling about the court yard. Rei nodded and I smirked " Yeah, well after our little encounter with the falcons I think I've seen enough magic to last me a life time thank you very much," I told him jokingly.

I began to walk away from the Avian leader and toward the staircase near the edge of the open court yard.

"You know, you really have to stop doing that!" Rei called after me.

I smiled and turned around to face the crow, walking backwards towards the stairs. "Doing what?" I called back using my half form senses to keep me from bumping into anything. I really wanted to get up to see Danica, in her last months of pregnancy she had been confined to only small trips out of the Keep and then in the last few days confined to her rooms.

"Beating them," Rei answered. "Soon no one's going to want to fight you," he called as I began to scale the stairs.

I laughed and climbed another few steps when I heard it. I had heard that noise only once or twice before and I never wanted to hear it again. It was the hunting cry of a falcon. My head flew up to search the skies as did Rei's and the others below. As my eyes lighted on winged creature, I let out a sigh of relief.

The falcon was not one of those we feared but another. Kel, our resident falcon moved into a nose dive toward the ground below and moved into a graceful landing coming to a rest on the ground below me. I watched as she transformed into her human form and began to search the court yard for someone.

When her eyes rested on me, Kel began to run toward me jogging up the stairs and stopping before me, Rei followed her up.

"Zane!" she gasped "It's Danica, she's having her baby!" Kel continued her eyes on me.

If she had more to say I didn't hear as I took off up the stairs toward mine and Danica's rooms. Behind me I heard the rustle of wings as Rei and Kel shifted into their bird forms making it easier for them to reach the top of the Hawk's Keep quickly.

To me that didn't seem like such a bad idea as I myself shifted into my king cobra form. It would move faster then my human half could and would no doubt clear people out of my way as I moved toward the top of the Keep.

I heard screams surrounding me as I slid along the hallways hissing at any who did not move in time. When I reached top of the Keep two guards waited by my mate's door, when they saw me they began to pull out their blades but I paid them no heed as I shifted back into my half form which was almost as intimidating as my cobra form.

They moved to stop me but I pushed them aside and threw both doors open as I rushed in. On the bed Danica moaned in pain as her doctor Betsy, Kel and an assistant spoke to her. I rushed in just as Rei was pushed out a different door then the one I had come through by the little assistant.

I strode in to my mate's side making sure not to get in Betsy's or Kel's way. Behind me I heard the doors close and the girl who had pushed Rei out gave a gasp when she saw me.

I quickly changed to my full human form ridding my self of the snake skin, my fangs and changing my garnet eyes back to human ones instead of silted snake eyes.

I heard Danica give another moan as she peeked open her eyes to look up at me. She sent me a weak smile and I knelt down so my face was level with hers, I snaked my hand out gripping hers in my own. A moment later I winced as Danicas grip tightened enough to break my hand.

"Shhhh" I cooed quietly to her using my other hand to brush stray bits of hair out of her face.

I looked toward Betsy and Kel the only others in the room with me and Danica. Kel met my eyes giving me an encouraging smile well Betsy turned toward Danica.

"Danica on my count I need you to push as hard as you can for me ok?" she asked her voice kind. Danicas grip tightened once again and she nodded her eyes squeezed shut.

I saw Betsy glance at me then up at the much taller Kel and she nodded. "OK Danica push!" she said and I turned my face toward Dancia even now she was still beautiful, her golden hair was matted to her forehead with sweat and she let out a yell of pain.

I remembered back to the first time I had seen her. I was sixteen, someone had told me Danica had just turned 15, on that day my older brother had died. I was filled with a rage so great It had consumed me, I had stolen into to the Hawk's Keep and had intended to kill the princess (who though I did not know it then, was to be my future mate) for her 15th birthday my brother had died. But when I entered her room and saw her laying then so innocent I couldn't do it. I wasn't a killer or I hadn't been then.

That was back when we were still at war, at those times voicing the names of the avian royalty in the serpiente court filled all present with rage, and in the avian court voicing the names of myself and my family filled all with a dreaded fear. After my brother's death I had become the serpiente battle prince, a title my brother had once held, after that my name had been one of the most feared. I fought with a single minded fury and a speed and grace no avian could match. I had never been harmed in battle and no avian to face me in that time of war had come away breathing. At the time I had been given more then one title I was battle prince and Arami, the first prince in line for the throne, after my father's death, I had been all but king.

And now here I stood holding the hand of my mate, a woman years ago was my enemy, and I myself was about to be a father and not in time of war but in peace. I would raise my daughter in a time of peace a time when ravens would dance for serpents and they would fight for the life of a falcon.

I was brought out of my inhuman trance by a new noise, it was the cry of a child. I refocused my eyes and looked up. There Kel held a bundle of cloth while Betsy congratulated Danica.

I moved to my feet and Kel moved toward me cradling the bundle in her arms. "Zane I would like for you to meet someone very special," She said to me quietly. I smiled at her, my eyes shining. Kel glanced down at the crying bundle and slowly began to hand her to me.

I took my daughter in my arms cooing to her as I did so. When I got a good look at the child in my arms my eyes widened in wonder. Her entire body was covered in black and gold scales and she had a mop of black hair wreathing her head. Her eyes were shaped like a hawks but were the garnet colour of my own with streaks of gold cutting through them. Her teeth were pointed like a snakes and there protruding out of her back were two gold and black wings. She was truly a Wyvern.

I walked over to Danica, as Kel and Betsy moved quietly out of the room. I crouched down beside her and sent her one of my most warming smiles. I laid our daughter in my mates arms, smiling as her eyes widened taking in our child's appearance.

"She's beautiful." Danica whispered and she looked up at me tears beginning to fill her eyes.

"Just like her mother." I told her brushing a stray hair our of her eyes.

"But she looks to much like you." Danica said looking down at the bundle cradled in her arms.

"And she will grow up in a time of peace." I whispered.

"In a time where serpents will dance for crows and they will sing with falcons and they will learn with wyverns."

**_No matter how deep the darkness is there is always light_**

**That was my alternate ending for the book SnakeCharm written by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes**


	2. Prayer

**Prayer**

**Hello everyone who is reading this now, I'm not sure if this is allowed if it's not then I'm sorry but I needed to get this out.**

**Today is September 2, 2005 and right now hundreds of people in New Orleans need help, I'm not sure what we can do, many of us are teenagers and there is little we can truly do to help but I ask this…**

**If you can donate money to the Red Cross, raise money in you neighbour hood or find other ways to help please ,please do. **

**We all acted to slow and now people are dead, trapped or dying and they need our help.**

**No matter what religion or race you may be please send your prayers tonight, today and tomorrow out to those in need. Maybe our prayers will be heard and hopefully answered.**

**Over the past few years the world has been torn apart, maybe this is a sign that we need to untie together and find a way to help these people and everyone else in the world who is suffering.**

**I know that there is not much we can do but even the smallest gesture helps. The smallest amount of money or comfort or hope can help these people. To do this we must stand together and finally suffering may lessen.**

**I'm not a preacher or someone who sees the world as all sunshine and rainbows, I know there are many terrible things out there in the world but maybe working together to help these people could in the end help us all. **

**Who knows I'm just a small time writer but there are a lot of small time writers here and together we create one loud voice.**

**So please help what ever way you can, send money, get the word out to others or just pray for the lives of those in our world who are suffering.**

**Thank you **

Karakin 


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